undercount

American

[uhn-der-kount, uhn-der-kount] / ˌʌn dərˈkaʊnt, ˈʌn dərˌkaʊnt /

verb (used with object)

to count less than the full number or amount of.

The mayor claimed the census had undercounted the city's population.

noun

a count or total that is less than the actual number or amount.

Etymology

Origin of undercount

First recorded in 1950–55; under- + count ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

undercount

That figure toppled the number of cases reported in all of 2025, and some public health experts believe it may be an undercount.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

And because of incomplete reporting, that’s almost certainly an undercount.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

That’s all but certain to be an undercount, and by a wide margin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

“If there’s an undercount and that undercount correlates with need, you’d be systematically pushing resources away from need.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025

Outside clearings do not undercount outside check deposits nearly to the extent that Professor Fisher assumes.

From The Value of Money by Benjamin M. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023